Australian & New Zealand April 2008 Sales Results: Toyota HiLux Tops Sales Charts!!!

[Patto1]

FOR YOU ROBERT RYAN.........

SEE REPORT ABOVE, YOU WANT MORE PROOF, YOU GOT IT.......


“A lot of people are customising their trucks like over in the US. The 4WD double cab diesel is really hot at the moment and a lot of that is lifestyle driven,” he says.

[mikmak]

[quote=Patto1;1392297][quote=BBDOS CV8;1392249] Only about 120 Hummers sold last month

"only" ?

This is a bloody good month considering they "only" planned on selling 1000 a year (or 85 a month)

As I 've said before and I'll say it again, people want family size SUV's in this country.

Ask again in 6 months.

[member12]

Originally Posted by Rick_VT

I just love it when some American thinks he knows what the Australian market needs.

OK for starters the Colorado you speak of which u get from Isuzu right?? has been on sale here for over 20 years if you look at the list its just outside the top 10 and is 3rd best selling LCV.

That's what I am trying to say.

GM should go after the Aussie's market needs for their mid sized trucks and SUVS and they will end up with something pretty close to what America is looking for. If they invest into a world truck then maybe Holden can knock the Hilux off of it's throne. The Hilux has much more in common with the Tacoma than the Rodeo has with the Colorado.

Our Colorado has a different engine, styling, and much fewer configurations than your Rodeo....which is one of the reasons that they are a tougher sell. The Chassis, handling, and capability of the Colorado is pretty good, but it's dumbed down with fewer options and powertrain combos than the Aussie products are. The new T370 trucks need to be a world truck instead of having the Trailblazer and Colorado for America and Europe, that little thingy in South America, and the Rodeo for Australia.

I think the full sized truck development should be primarily American focused for obvious reasons (I doubt there is much demand for full sized trucks over there) , but the mid sized truck and SUVs should be mostly for markets like Australia or southeast Asia. Like Toyota, GM can move those trucks to America with minor changes and end up with a product that's more in line with the hot selling Tacoma.

[Patto1]

Originally Posted by member12

Like Toyota, GM can move those trucks to America with minor changes and end up with a product that's more in line with the hot selling Tacoma.

So the best selling mid-size truck in America is the "hot-selling" Toyota Tacoma ?

Just a word of warning.........

Toyota is making hay while the sun shines biding it's time, waiting for the pants to fall-out of the large truck market in America. If the price of petrol continues to head north, you will find out in America what has happened in Australia.
As people in Australia start downsizing from large Holdens + Fords, they aren't buying small Holdens + Fords, as surprise, surprise, Holden + Ford have neglected this market for so long with second rate, "make do" product.

Instead, they are now buying record numbers of Corolla's and Camry's because Toyota built-up over a number of years a solid reputation with their small/medium cars.

The fear is the same will happen with your trucks. As people start to down size they won't down size to a Colorado or Ranger, but instead a Tacoma because of it's solid renowned reputation. It's all part of Toyotas big plan to slowly chip away until they ultimately win each market segment.


GM - act now before it's too late and take the mid-size truck market seriously.

[Baz]

I hate Hiluxes

If you drive round in a Hilux with massive chrome wheels thinking your car looks good. Word of advice just quietly, it doesn't, it looks terrible. Hilux's are just show pony cars now.

[Robert Ryan]

Patto you answered your own question why there are no F150-Silverado's sold here and why they are diminishing in the US

So the best selling mid-size truck in America is the "hot-selling" Toyota Tacoma ?

waiting for the pants to fall-out of the large truck market in America. If the price of petrol continues to head north,

he fear is the same will happen with your trucks. As people start to down size they won't down size to a Colorado or Ranger, but instead a Tacoma because of it's solid renowned reputation

Reading comprehension has been a problem with you Patto

A lot of people are customising their trucks like over in the US. The 4WD double cab diesel is really hot at the moment and a lot of that is lifestyle driven,

I can add for the 3 Litre Diesel Mitsubishi Tritons,Toyota Hilux's and Holden Rodeo's small or "midsize" Pickups in US terminology. All of these have become "cars' like the customized Utes or "Cars" like the F150 has been in the US.

[Robert Ryan]

Patto you were supposed to contact the car companies about importing your beloved "Big Trucks" as you term theminto Australia. What happened there? Did you contact any companies?

[BBDOS CV8]

Originally Posted by Patto1

The F150 is not that much bigger than a 4WD Hi-lux, so why wouldn't it sell ?

Tell me from the picture below, the Hi-lux and GMC Sierra 1500 (avatar) are almost the same size.....

The mines would love the F150, some mines are even resorting to importing the Dodge Rams to Australia

I don't know - why didn't it sell last time it was available? I'd hazard a guess and say that it can't be imported and sold cheaply enough to make business sense, or resold for enough because there is not much demand here for a big thirsty vehicle which sells as a lifestyle option in the 'States. Even an unloaded F150 is probably twice the mass of a base Hilux.

People who want to carry loads buy big flatbeds - even towtruckers are offloading F-series, which used to be their staple. People who want light commercial load shifters buy LPG Falcs or diesel Hiluxes or similar.

As far as the Colorado and Rodeo, one is the other. GM owns the Thai plant and tooling for them, just not the Rodeo name in Oz. Our 'Colorados' will continue with the HFV6, and Motori diesel because Holden specs them like that for our market, plus it makes the HFV6 and ships it over.

Since they got the better V6 motors in diesel and petrol, Rodeo sales have taken off compared to idling along before. Sure, they could be better, but they're 200% better than they were 2-3 years back.

Part of the reason the Hilux sells so well is you can buy so many versions with so many combos of trim and equipment. That's what Holden has to work towards. The other reason is just track record - for many people, like they automatically think 'Corolla' when thinking small basic econobox, HiLux means light, white, tin-box commercial.

[Patto1]

Originally Posted by Robert Ryan

Patto you answered your own question why there are no F150-Silverado's sold here and why they are diminishing in the US
Reading comprehension has been a problem with you Patto
I can add for the 3 Litre Diesel Mitsubishi Tritons,Toyota Hilux's and Holden Rodeo's small or "midsize" Pickups in US terminology. All of these have become "cars' like the customized Utes or "Cars" like the F150 has been in the US.

You have missed one small little very important detail in your rant, both Toyota and Ford HAVE acknowledge the trend to larger trucks in Australia, just like in America, we still have alot of catching up to do, even if the market is downsizing, as we are coming of a much smaller base.
If you can't comprehend that, then there is now hope for ya.

[Patto1]

Originally Posted by BBDOS CV8

I don't know - why didn't it sell last time it was available?

I dunno, just a thought..........maybe it had something to do with the fact that the F150 wasn't sold in Australia the last time

Just for the record, Ford only sold the much larger F250 and F350 models in Australia the last time.

Even in America the biggest selling F-series model is the F150, it kills the much larger F250 and F350 in sales, so why wouldn't we expect the same outcome here ?

The F150 would have sold 10 times what the F250/F350 sold in Australia but we didn't get to find out for some strange reason which Ford can explain.

[BBDOS CV8]

Originally Posted by Patto1

I dunno, just a thought..........maybe it had something to do with the fact that the F150 wasn't sold in Australia the last time

Just for the record, Ford only sold the much larger F250 and F350 models in Australia the last time.

Even in America the biggest selling F-series model is the F150, it kills the much larger F250 and F350 in sales, so why wouldn't we expect the same outcome here ?

The F150 would have sold 10 times what the F250/F350 sold in Australia but we didn't get to find out for some strange reason which Ford can explain.

F150 maybe never made it officially here, but if the presumably smaller F100 didn't sell well towards the end, and the larger F250 didn't sell (it didn't) why would the F150? Apart from anything else I believe someone posted the current RHD version made in Brazil doesn't meet Euro or ADR emissions, plus the Triton truck motor is on the way out in Canada which is why Ford Oz is looking for a new V8, so until it gets something new, moot point.

There's nothing to support the contention that it or the Silverado would sell in numbers against the Japanese light commercials like the Hiux. And not against the very capable and efficient medium-sized diesels available as vans and tray bodies. America's aversion to diesels and concentration on big petrol motors may well be the reason, compared to Europe's development of smaller, lightweight Tdi motors.

Either way, the 'others' are well established now in Oz and Ford and GM US trucks would struggle I believe against the Euros like Iveco and the Asians like Fuso, Hino and the like. There's not even any heritage or legacy to build on, as they've effectively been AWOL for twenty years.

[Robert Ryan]

If you can't comprehend that, then there is now hope for ya.

Read BBDOS CV8 reply pretty well sums it up and end of story as far as F Series and Silverado's in Australia.

[Ssom]

I don't get how high demand for medium sized utes, which are predominantly diesel proves that the market is after large pickups with fuel-sucking V8's...

[mikmak]

^^^ then there's no hope for ya...apparently